


Four Decades

by Flying_Flitwicks



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Eventual Harry Potter/Hermione Granger - Freeform, F/M, Family, Fluff, Hermione Granger & Harry Potter Friendship, Mild Smut, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Hogwarts, Pre-Hogwarts, Sirius Black Lives
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:12:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25430689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flying_Flitwicks/pseuds/Flying_Flitwicks
Summary: Escaping the clutches of his aunt, Harry was determined to spend his birthday in the park, alone and unseen by everyone...until he sees a bushy brown-haired girl with a black shaggy dog by her side. / Harry's 10th, 20th, 30th and 40th birthdays in four chapters. Hhr.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Harry Potter
Comments: 10
Kudos: 75
Collections: HMS Harmony Discord Writing Fest - Harry's 40th Birthday





	1. Fly

**Author's Note:**

> This is my submission to the HMS Harmony Writing Fest: Harry's 40th birthday. This story comprises four chapters based on Harry's 10th, 20th, 30th and 40th birthdays. I'll be uploading those within the week. AU. We can't have that epilogue, can we?
> 
> The Potterverse doesn't belong to me, but Harry and Hermione belong to each other.

**\- Ten -**

_Fly_

"Get out of here, you freak!"

Harry obliged and ran for the door, carefully closing it with enough force as to not further annoy his aunt. Safe from her clutches, he let himself smile a bit, feeling it grow on his face as he felt the heat kiss the tip of his nose.

It was a success.

He had successfully annoyed Aunt Petunia, not to the point of hurling a tirade of verbal insults at him, but just enough to want him out of her sight.

Feeling giddy by the minute, he marched on, a bounce clearly seen from his steps as he walked on the pavement and counted them as he passed by it.

_One._

He let out a sigh of relief, feeling happy to be finally out of the house.

_Two._

A lean towards his left as he tried to avoid a tiny pebble.

_Three._

A shiver went down his spine and he knew the cat lady must be watching again.

_Four._

_Five._

Another pebble and a jump towards his right this time.

_Six._

He passed by a parked red car filled with voices brimming with laughter, and before he knew it, the empty feeling within him opened like a deep wound, and he tried to stitch it up with a thump across his chest.

_Seven._

"Mum! Why can't I have ice cream?! It's my birthday today!"

_Eight._

He stared at his ragged shoes, bit his lip, and willed to keep the tears from pouring out of his eyes.

_Nine._

Taking a deep breath, he straightened his back and tried to think of happy memories because he knew that if he took _thirty-one_ more steps he would arrive at the park.

_Ten._

"Thirty steps to go, Harry. Then you can cry."

* * *

Harry saw the fenced gate and he ran towards it, feeling the wind whip past his hair. He let out a squeak as he narrowly avoided another pebble on the path and a squeal as he entered the park, relishing how the park made him lighter...calmer...and happier.

The park made him feel alive.

He crouched down and felt the row of flowers at his feet as he began the tradition of his ever since Aunt Petunia told him in anger what his mother's name was.

"Hello," he whispered to the lilies, moving closer as if he was saying a secret of his. "It's my birthday today."

He pushed himself off the ground and dusted off his hands together. "Of course, you know that. You gave birth to me after all," he paused, scoffing at himself before continuing, "Yes, I know where babies come from. Teacher Lucy praised me for remembering all that stuff! Of course, Dudley hated it so he...no...I should—it's-it's my birthday today."

He let out a sigh, feeling disappointed with himself as he stared at the sky before him. Speckles of blue and yellow flew against the sharp outlines of the sky and he greedily followed them with his eyes as they flew against each other and landed on their respective branches.

"Blue tit," he muttered to himself, silently thanking his teacher for the book she gave him years ago.

It was an encyclopedia of birds in the world and he loved every page of it.

Harry loved it because the birds looked so free. It was everything he wanted in life.

The smell of lilies brought him out of his musings.

"I wish I could become a bird, mum," he confessed, smiling sadly at the lilies below him.

"Maybe I could fly wherever you are…" he trailed off, tugging the stem of the lily he was holding on to. With a snap, the lily fell free into his other hand and he hugged it lightly against his chest. "It's my birthday, mum. I'll take you home with me."

He let his feet take him to his destination this time as he continued watching the birds fly above him. He knew where he was going: just a bit to the south at the other end of the park. No kids came there. It was silent there. Behind a huge tree was a bench that was hidden to the crowd.

It was a great crying place for Harry.

His eyes focused on the nest filled with crying hatchlings and watched as their bird mama arrived with a worm attached to its beak. He read that bird mamas take care of their babies until they were old enough to be kicked off the nest. He also read that some bird mamas kick their babies off when they didn't want them...

"Why, mama?" he asked softly, eyes still drawn on the family of birds as he clutched the lily to his chest. "Did you not want me?"

A breeze went by and the smell of lilies touched his soul like a comforting hug this time.

"I'm sorry," he muttered to himself, shaking his head as he did so, as if that sole action was capable of removing his gloomy thoughts. "It's my birthday…" he trailed off as he saw the scene before him.

A girl with bushy brown hair sat on the bench—the one hidden from the crowd and behind a huge tree. _The one where he wanted to sit_. Harry squinted his eyes to read the title of the book she held in her clutches—it was a book he had never seen before—until a hairy tail appeared in his vision.

A black shaggy dog lay beneath her dangling feet and Harry thought the dog acted like that dragon who guarded the tree that had golden apples. He clutched the lily closer to him now as the black dog stared at him curiously.

"His name is Laelaps."

His head shot up to the grinning girl in front of him and he watched her eyes move in fast motions as she read all the sentences on the page. He could only stare at her in wonder at how she could read so fast, jumping when she closed her book with a snap.

She stood up and walked towards his direction. "I'm Hermione," she said, raising a hand towards him. He moved to take it, pausing when Laelaps came running beside her. "Don't worry about Laelaps. He's really nice. I keep him around because the bullies run away as soon as they see him."

"That's really nice," he muttered under his breath, confusion marring his face as Laelaps nudged his hand with a wet nose. Harry had never held a dog before. "What does he want from me?"

"Pets, silly!" she exclaimed, beaming at him with a toothy smile and reached down to scratch the area between the ears and neck of the black shaggy dog. "He likes it there."

Harry followed her actions, smiling when the dog leaned further in his hands. "He's really soft."

"I brush his hair everyday before I sleep," she said, head tilted at him and Harry itched to remove the curls blocking her right eye. He watched her walk back to the bench, the one he usually occupied, before following her like a lost puppy.

"You didn't tell me your name," she pointed out after sitting like a princess on the bench. Laelaps resumed his position beneath her feet, looking entirely relaxed as if there was no threat present.

"I'm Harry," he mumbled as he took a seat beside her. Aside from his teachers, no one had asked for his name before.

"Nice to meet you, Harry," she said and he struggled to digest the look she was giving him. It looked like she meant what she said.

"You too...Hermione," he echoed softly, trying to squash the bubbling emotions inside of him. He wondered if this is how it felt like...like having a friend.

She smiled at him again before pulling her book open, wide enough and closer to his direction, and he leaned closer and squinted his eyes, wanting to read as fast as her. He stopped after a page and closed his eyes when his head began to hurt.

To his surprise, she began reading her book aloud for him to hear. He leaned back to the bench, eyes still closed, strained from his incorrect eyegrade, and tried to paint a picture of the words she spoke to him.

_There was a wizard who liked to help people._

_He had long grey hair and wore green robes._

_His magic comes from a golden cooking pot..._

"Chapter—"

Harry settled the lily flower between them and pulled the book out of her hands. Aware that he was actually holding a book other than his own, he gingerly grasped the book in his hands, close to his face and read in a much slower pace, taking a peek at her face for the reactions she made towards the story.

Satisfied with their chapters and parched with all their reading, they shared the canteen of water she had brought with her. They rested their heads on the edge of the bench and stared at the birds and clouds.

"That's a blackbird," he murmured, pointing a finger at a black bird with a yellow beak on top of a tree. "A male one. The female ones are brown. They don't have many friends...because they like being alone."

And then Harry couldn't find it in himself to stop; from saying everything he knew about the birds above them, around the area, and those which cannot be found anymore. He told everything to the girl he didn't know; about the lilies, his hobby of counting pavements, how he was scared of the unexplained things happening around him, and the fact that it was his tenth birthday.

"Happy birthday!" she greeted him gleefully with the three cones of ice cream she had bought from the parked ice cream truck.

He mirrored the happiness reflected from her warm brown eyes. He realized he liked them very much and found they resembled those chocolate bonbons Aunt Petunia loved. He stared at the ice cream in his hands as he muttered a quiet thanks.

"Honestly, Harry! You should've told me it was your birthday," she chided him and he watched her give the black dog his own share of ice cream. Unlike Dudley, Laelaps daintily lapped up the ice cream given to him.

"It wasn't important." he muttered under his breath and immediately gulped when he saw the glare sent his way. His hand crept to touch the petals of the flower between them, trying to understand why it was so easy to tell her everything. "I've never really celebrated it."

Harry heard a sniffle and a ruffle of things beside him. When he looked up, Hermione was holding two sandwiches in his direction.

"Happy birthday, Harry," she said, putting a sandwich on his other hand and she held his other hand in hers, warm and tight. He stared at the sandwich, feeling overwhelmed by the second. A tear slipped past him. She gripped his hand tighter this time. "Here's to many more."

Before he knew it, the sun was gone and they had to go back to their homes.

"See you, Harry," she said, hugging him this time by the row of lily flowers near the entrance. He let himself enjoy her embrace, taking peeks at Laelaps who looked like he was about to pounce at the flowers. "I hope you had a great birthday."

And as he watched her walk away with Laelaps' collar on one hand and his lily flower on the other, he thought that he could soar the skies with the profound happiness he was feeling right now.

"I really had a great day, mum," he murmured to the flowers beside him. "I'm so happy I could fly."


	2. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After their graduation, Harry and Hermione decided to take a year off by traveling the world. Sirius throws a party at The White Orphanage, an institution he founded after the Second Wizarding War.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Harry's 20th, I envisioned him spending it with his entire family. He deserves it. Truly.
> 
> You know the Potterverse doesn't belong to me, but Sirius Black does.
> 
> Warning: smut and changes in the canon. At the end of the chapter, a second A/N is available if you want a quick rundown of the changes I've made. It's not needed and I tried my best to properly lay these down. However, I do know that some readers like knowing the changes prior to reading it.

_**\- Twenty -** _

_Family_

Harry awoke on an air mattress in the middle of a forest.

At first, he heard nothing, save for the whispers of the wind as it gently held his face in its embrace. As it receded, it skimmed his form and outlined his body in its wake.

He sighed and relaxed further, letting his arms fall by his sides. His fingertips touched the surface below and smiled softly as the blades wove around his fingers like a comforting touch. He stared at the inky black sky—he knew there weren't any birds in this place—and marvelled at the bright, full moon.

A view he has been admiring ever since he became a student at Hogwarts...yet he never got tired of it.

And so he closed his eyes this time and waited patiently for the signs of their appearance.

_A crackling of leaves._

He turned his head to the right, eyes still closed, to seek the presence in that direction.

_A piercing howl._

He pursed his lips as a mischievous smile threatened to bloom on his face.

_A soft snort and a huff._

Finally, he opened his eyes and reciprocated the knowing gazes of the stag, doe and wolf.

The wolf nudged Harry's nose with a snout and he leaned in, trying to savour the warmth it provided. He laughed as the stag pushed the wolf with its antlers, an attempt to vie for his attention, only to be pounced on by the wolf in return.

" _Have they been bothering you?"_ he wanted to ask the serene doe to his left, but merely a _caw_ came out of his mouth.

Suddenly, the frolicking figures stopped to look at him and he took it as a sign and reached for the skies. He soared, a loud call coming out of his mouth, as the whispers of the wind turned into sharp gasps against the white feathers on his wings. He let out a _croak_ as the stag and the wolf attempted to nip at his tail feather, while the doe ran alongside him.

He flapped faster to push himself higher until he was nothing but a speck in the sky. He let out a throaty _kraa_ as they whined at him, wishing for him to go back to them. He obliged by zooming towards them and they ran away from him, constantly toppling each other down as they tripped on their legs. He took advantage of the situation and landed on the stag's antlers, nipped on its ear a handful of times, and closed his eyes as he took in the air embracing him.

When Harry opened his eyes, he was back in his body, snuggled in the piles of the stag, doe and wolf. He tried his hardest to savour the moment and relish the feel of their fur, the soft _swish_ of the wind that continued to outline his body, the smell of the forest wafting up his nose, the bright, full moon shining above them…

Nine years of dreaming like this on his birthday...yet he still couldn't get enough of it.

But the doe groomed his hair and he unwillingly closed his eyes at the comforting gesture. A tear slipped past him, knowing that when he opened his eyes, he'd be back in his bed.

"Thank you," he breathed out, hoping that he conveyed all the emotions he could muster with those two words. _Thank you for making me feel loved, for keeping me sane..._

Before he could utter another word, everything was gone; the smell of the forest, the feel of the wind and the warmth of their fur…

Everything was gone except for the soft breathing beside him.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, only to be bombarded with hair the colour of pure honey. He quickly pursed his lips to stop himself from grinning. _Godric,_ where did that come from? Sirius was right. He was truly turning into a puddle of goo.

As he tried to shake the sleep away, he stroked her hair and watched as the curly strands tumbled across his fingers, reflecting the daylight in its wake, until the vivid dream about the stag, doe, wolf and the majestic forest slipped out of his brain like a gentle breeze.

"Harry."

Sharp brown eyes greeted him—they looked like those fancy chocolates Remus used to have when he was feeling melancholic—and wondered how she was always so... _so alive_ as soon as she woke up.

"Good morning," he whispered to her.

"Good morning, love," she whispered back and he shivered in response. _Love._ He snaked an arm across her body, his hand landing on her bare bum, and he pulled her closer to him until he could capture her lips with a gentle kiss.

Briefly, he pulled away to nuzzle her nose before giving her another chaste kiss, unable to squash the brimming desire to make her feel loved; like the way she has always made him feel since the day they sat together on that bench with a lily flower wedged between them. He wanted to express his gratitude for _always_ staying by his side throughout the years...for loving him...despite...

Suddenly, Hermione pulled away and he paused, feeling his heart thrum with uncertainty, but a cheshire grin bloomed on her face and he knew what it suddenly meant. Of course he did.

She was up to something...something detrimental to his heart.

_("Why do Potters always corrupt a bright witch," Professor McGonagall muttered under her breath.)_

Hermione grasped his face so tenderly and he melted, feeling so helpless in her hands, and moaned as she kissed him passionately, much firmer than the kisses he gave her not long ago. The hands roaming his chest pushed him on his back and he groaned against the grin on her lips as she straddled him effortlessly.

"Happy birthday, Harry," she sang and he watched as she trailed a finger from his lower abdomen towards his chest, briefly placing a palm to feel his pounding heart, before resuming her finger's path upwards his neck—his breath hitched at the sensation and her eyes were more brighter than ever—to finally land on his lips.

Not breaking eye contact, she dragged it downwards and his body heated, remembering where his lips were last night. He nipped at her finger, wanting to taste her again.

"Happy birthday, Harry," she continued singing and he focused on the cheshire grin frozen on her face—the one detrimental to his poor heart—until he saw a _dangerous_ finger slip around the strap of her singlet and slowly dragged it off her shoulder.

"Happy birthday," she paused and repeated the action with her other strap as she looked at him with eyes full of wanting. He groaned as she pulled her top down, now bunched around her waist, and revealed the snitch necklace he gave her during the Yule Ball fluttering to the beat of his heart in between her breasts. He moved his hands to caress it—the necklace or her soft breasts, he wasn't sure—but she trapped his hands above his head, grinded against him before giving him another teasing grin. "Happy birthday."

"Happy birthday to you," she finished before releasing him quickly from his clothing and sat on him, making them groan simultaneously at the heat and pleasure that entered their senses.

"Happy birthday, Harry," she breathed out, moving slowly, then quickly, and soon, they were covered in sweat, refusing to stop until the sheets began to smell like them.

He played with her hair and she drew runes on his chest as they hummed a Muggle tune together. He didn't know the title, always forgetting what it was called, but Hermione seemed to like it.

"We've got a bit of time before we're off to see the orphanage," she began, pausing from the _ehwaz_ rune she drew on his chest. "What do you want to do?"

He smiled sheepishly, having no sense of shame whatsoever. "You?"

"Seriously, Harry!"

"Yes, we're meeting the old mangy mutt later," he began, chuckling when she gave a huff. "I did tell him we could help with cleaning up."

"Get up then," she ordered, already pushing herself away from his arms. Standing in front of him, she bit his lip and tugged his arms. "Maybe you could do the former in the showers…"

"You should've said so!" he exclaimed and swept her in his arms, nuzzling her hair as he savoured her laughter.

* * *

They found themselves back in Godric's Hollow, specifically in front of a beautiful modern white house. By the front door was a sign in beautiful lettering: _"The White Orphanage."_

"This never gets old," Harry muttered under his breath.

"Oh, Harry," Hermione breathed out. "You're the only one who finds this amusing."

"Welcome, welcome!" A loud voice echoed before the door was even opened. Sirius Black, looking younger than ever, appeared in the middle of the hallway. Harry thought the house was enormous, but it seemed to shrink under his godfather's ever boisterous personality. "Glad you _two_ finally showed up your little arses in _TWO_."

"Well, he's got better acronyms than you _too,"_ he commented lightly and laughed as she flicked the v's at him.

Hermione rushed towards Sirius, giving him her signature hug. "Where's Astoria?"

"I missed you too, _Janey,"_ Sirius whined, shooting a pout at Harry. "And upstairs, fifth room…" he trailed off, looking gobsmacked as she moved past him to run up the stairs, fully intent on ignoring the two men in her wake. "Sheesh, I get it, I'm no one's favourite."

The entirety of Gryffindor and Slytherin were stumped when Hermione Granger and Astoria Greengrass became friends after coming back for their eighth year. Hermione was a Gryffindor with a mind of a Ravenclaw, while Astoria was a Slytherin with a heart of a Hufflepuff. No one knew how, even Harry himself, but they formed a strong bond during their late night rounds as Head Girl and Prefect.

"Well, maybe I could get some attention from you?" Sirius said, arms wide open for him to take.

"We did offer for you to come with us," he teased before hugging his godfather.

"And for me to take Hermione's attention from you? _Please,"_ Sirius scoffed before taking a step back, his hands clasped on Harry's shoulders. " I'm glad you're back safe," he paused before muttering to himself, "Gone far longer than I'm used to." Sirius clapped his shoulders. "Well? What's this I hear about your new friends? Chin-wagging the Flamels, eh? Got a taste of that elixir yet?"

"They're interested in Hermione," he said, chuckling along with Sirius. "I was only there because of her."

Sirius snorted. "As if they could separate you too," he said and released his shoulders, looking uncertain this time. "Listen, I should've warned you—Draco is here too."

"I know," he answered simply. "Hermione told me."

Harry has an...interesting relationship with the Slytherin. A childhood bully, son of a Death Eater...then eventual saviour of a handful of Muggleborns during the Battle of Hogwarts. A glimmer of a particular front page of the _Daily Prophet_ entered his mind: _"Malfoy requests assets be donated to Black's Orphanage instead; Kingsley approves!"_

"Now, pup, tell me everything," Sirius said, grabbing him by the shoulders to lead him past the kitchens. "Maybe focus on the beautiful witches you met along the way…I should really get the pensieve fixed. _OH!_ Did you use the camera I gave you?"

* * *

There were several reasons why Harry liked the back garden.

To the left showcased several rows of trees with fruits aching to be picked, while the other side contained a greenhouse where they grew most of the food eaten by the household. In the middle sat a miniature quidditch pitch he was itching to use.

Beyond all of that stood the forest.

He stared at the vast forest, feeling a sense of familiarity with it. Maybe if he squinted enough, he'd see a stag, doe and wolf running across—

_A crackling of leaves._

He pivoted quickly, unable to quell the growing hope to see them, _at least_ one of them, when Draco Malfoy entered his vision instead. He bit back a sigh and nodded at the Slytherin to acknowledge his presence.

"Potter—I," Draco began, clearing his throat as he continued, "Astoria and I found a book," he paused again and Harry's face contorted in confusion. Of all the things Malfoy would say to him, this wasn't it.

"It's about Defence...an ancient one, a rare one actually," he rambled, truly an unfamiliar sight for Harry. "It might help you with your Mastery, that is…" he trailed off looking unsure with himself; again, another unfamiliar sight for him.

Ah. No.

No, it wasn't.

Harry witnessed it...when Draco was feeling unsure with himself. It was the night when Albus Dumbledore died and he unwittingly played a hand in it.

Taking a deep breath, he willed himself to remember the times when Malfoy looked so sure of himself: sending him a sneer across the hallway; catching the snitch; saving them from the clutches of a handful of Death Eaters; bringing them back to Grimmauld Place after killing the man they unwittingly brought there…

His hands shook and his voice hoarse but, still, he looked so sure of himself back then.

And so he forced a chuckle out of himself as an attempt to lighten the situation, feeling pity for the anxious man in front of him. "I appreciate it. Maybe I can have Hermione and Astoria translate it for me," he said before resuming to admire the view again, idly wondering why Sirius was taking so long, when Draco, to his surprise, stepped in beside him.

"I'm sorry," Draco muttered after a beat and Harry wondered how many times he has apologised to the people around him. "For everything. I know I sound like a broken record, but I really should've known better."

A movement caught his eyes and he watched as the man beside him moved to cup the stump of his right arm, hugging himself in the process.

Harry saw the images flash before his eyes.

_Draco standing in the Great Hall with a band of younger Muggleborns behind him, protecting them with spell after spell…_

_Draco jumping in to save Sirius, losing his wand arm in the process…_

" _Harry," Sirius' unusual tender voice echoed in his head. "I'm not excusing him for his actions. On the contrary, I'm holding it against him_ — _but he was young as well, Harry. He was groomed into it. I don't know what would have happened with myself if I hadn't met your dad…oh, Regulus, my brother…"_

_Draco bringing himself to court, spending a year in Azkaban and receiving a lifetime of regulation towards wand use..._

_Draco headlining the front page of Daily Prophet with his request to donate his seized family assets to The White Orphanage instead..._

" _Harry," Hermione's voice was a bit distraught and her hands shook as she tried to smoothen the letter in front of her. "Astoria...sweet Astoria is in a relationship with Malfoy_ — _I don't know, Harry_ — _but I trust her with my life and I'll trust her judgment...for now."_

"It seems like a lifetime ago, doesn't it?" he finally said with his eyes still drawn on the view before him.

In the corner of his eyesight, he saw Draco close his eyes and nod softly, the sharp lines on his face temporarily losing its grit.

_A rumple of leaves._

Both of them looked back quickly and found Sirius walking towards them with a handful of brooms levitating behind him. They met him halfway, took a broom in hand and swept in silence without a whip of their wands as the sun disappeared before them.

* * *

Dinner came and Harry rushed back and forth to the huge hall and the front porch, trying to usher guests Sirius invited. The children were already in the hall, chatting and mingling in their Hogwarts' houses inspired party hats. Reds, blues, yellows and greens bonded together and he briefly wished that it would've been nice if Hogwarts students weren't too cautious to fraternise with other houses.

He side-stepped quickly to avoid two figures running past him, laughing as soon as he spotted the old mangy mutt wearing a green party hat.

"Hermione! Change the stinky colour of my hat right now!" Sirius bellowed in frustration. "I'm a noble Gryffindor! Don't tarnish my reputation!"

"It was Astoria!" Hermione insisted as she took a glance over her shoulder, laughing as Astoria appeared and changed the colour of her hat to the colour yellow. "I told you!"

Chuckling, Harry went back to the porch to see Neville Longbottom, Daphne Greengrass and Professor Minerva McGonagall about to head to the Hall.

"Glad all of you could come," he greeted and hugged each of them, giving a soft pat to the bundle of cloth in Minerva's arms. "And this must be little Ariadne."

"We needed this too, mate," Neville responded, clasping a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Definitely," Daphne intoned, her tired, dull eyes widening when they heard a squeal coming from the Hall. "Looks like I have to rescue my baby sister," she said in a huff.

"How's Hogwarts, Aunt Minnie?" he asked a beat after Daphne left, grinning as he received a glare in return.

"Quiet, ever since you've been gone," Minerva responded, eyes narrowed in suspicion as she placed baby Ariadne in his arms.

"Do you miss us?" he asked, staring at the dark wide eyes of the blonde-haired baby in his arms. He hid a grin when Neville snorted over his shoulder.

"Don't flatter yourself, Mr. Potter."

"I was hoping you would," he responded cheekily as he moved his goddaughter in his arms to face the Headmistress, cheeks squished together, acting as if the bairn was a shield from her wrath.

"You're mental," Neville whispered beside him.

Minerva took one look at the giggling baby and stormed off, making Harry and Neville bark a laugh as her mutterings filled the air.

" _Almost as bad as his father—he's got a Longbottom too—this is Sirius Black's fault."_

And then their last visitors arrived in two groups.

Luna Lovegood, still in her colorful robes and unique earrings, came with a man named Rolf Scamander. Before Harry could even utter his thanks, Hermione whisked them away to chat— _interrogate_ is the proper term, he thinks—on the draft of their first book together.

Finally, the Weasleys.

Harry grinned as Molly strutted with piles of food floating behind her and argued with the house elves who fought back, passionate with their food as well. He watched them, feeling thankful that the Weasley matriarch regained some of her spirit after losing Arthur Weasley during the war.

"Harrykins," Fred sang to his left. He and Adriane volleyed their heads between the twins' matching grins.

"And wee adorable Ariadne," George cooed and Harry laughed as the baby in his arms slapped both of their noses.

"You're going to," Fred said, pinching Ariadne's cheek.

"Absolutely love our gift!" George exclaimed, repeating the action on her other cheek.

"I hope not," Hermione muttered as she passed by them, patting Ariadne's head along the way. They watched her walk towards the arguing figures before sharing knowing grins with each other.

"Listen, don't tell Hermione but," he paused, took a peek at Hermione's direction and shifted his goddaughter in his arms who immediately grabbed his glasses. He turned to the hazy figures before him, "I found a book that could help you with your next collection…"

* * *

Food was served and then the twins lit up the sky with fireworks. The children _oohed_ and _aahed_ at the different colours and shapes it formed. The finale began with a dazzling shade of white, quickly forming into a shape of the bird and he watched as the feathers slowly formed, marvelling how detailed it was.

To everyone's surprise, the white raven's wings flapped and zoomed just above Harry's head, flew upwards until it was nothing but a speck in the sky, and exploded with all the colours he could ever think of.

Before Harry could even finish his drink, he was being whisked away by one of the youngest of the children in the orphanage—her name was Brianna and she declared Harry to be her pen pal as soon as she saw him—while the others tagged behind them, giggling and cheering along the way.

They ushered him to the west wing where the study and music rooms were located and found himself staring at a mural of the Hogwarts castle. Stunned, he moved closer and looked directly where the Gryffindor tower was located.

On the window sill sat the figure of a house elf—it was Dobby, of course, with his legs caught in a frozen dance and fingers pointed in a direction...where Hedwig flew with stacks of letters attached to her leg, looking more free than ever.

For a while, he stood frozen, not knowing how to react until he felt a tug at his shirt. He looked down and saw the four-year old's face filled with worry. "Why are you crying?" she asked, sniffling as he felt the tear fall down his cheeks. "Do you not like it?"

Harry shook his head softly. "These are happy tears," he managed to say, taking her hand in his own and traced the painting with the other. "It's beautiful."

Everyone was behind them now, admiring the mural before them. He stared at everyone's astonished gazes and his appreciation for the children grew more than ever.

Overwhelmed with emotion, he dropped to his knees and opened his arms and the children, one by one, moved towards his embrace, quietly whispering to them his thanks. They hugged him tighter, almost piling on top of him, and whispered their thanks - _"for saving our lives."_

He felt his heart up in his throat. He wanted to tell them, _"it wasn't me._ " It wasn't just him. But he couldn't. Not now when it's taking his all just to compose himself.

And so he let his gaze sweep the crowd, landing on Sirius' mischievous grin, finally free of the survivor's guilt he's been feeling; on Neville's confident stance, a stark contrast from that insecure and lonely kid he meet on the train; on Luna's animated features as she told stories to the children surrounding her, finally open for the world to see; and finally, on Hermione, who simply gazed knowingly at him.

He realised that not only did these people save the children's lives and their future...they saved him as well. These...selfless people treated an orphan as if they have known him all their life and taught him friendship, bravery, and most of all, love.

Looking back at the mural behind him, his eyes landed on the ever elusive Forbidden Forest. He bit his gasp as his gaze landed on the silhouettes of a stag, doe and wolf by the entrance of the forest; looking as if they were waiting for someone...for him, or rather the white raven to come home.

"Thank you," he breathed out, hoping that he conveyed all the emotions he could muster with those two words. 

Because for the first time in his life, he was able to celebrate his birthday with his entire family.

That was all he could ever ask for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Major changes.  
> 1\. Sirius lived, Remus did not. He died at the DOM and took Sirius' position in the narrative.  
> 2\. Harry and Hermione returned for their eighth year. They took a gap year before taking up their mastery.*  
> 3\. Sirius opened an orphanage because he would never forgive himself for leaving Harry on 31 October 1981.*  
> 4\. Draco somewhat redeemed himself. Snippets of it will be shown in this chapter.  
> 5\. Harry and Hermione drifted away from Ron in book four. They were close with Neville from the very beginning.  
> 6\. Molly still treated Harry as if she were her son and took care of him. Sirius eventually takes over when he gets custody of Harry. This takes place sometime in book five.  
> * These points will be tackled in Chapter 5 - Harry's eighteenth birthday (bonus chapter)


End file.
